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Forum:DCAU Dating Conventions
As I navigate around the site, I am surprised to see real dates by some entries (specifically when dealing with Batman, Static, and the whole future era). The way I remember it, the only year ever directly mentioned in an episode was in reference to the "near apocalypse of '09" (mentioned twice by Terry McGinnis). Aside from this (and this one was vague too, since '09 could be at any turn of the century), I believe Bruce Timm & Co. were deliberately vague when dealing with dates. We know, for instance, that Batman Beyond takes place 50 years in the future and that Bruce Wayne is 80 when it begins (per the commentary on the Season 1 DVD), but we don't really know what "now" (when Bruce is 30 years old) is. It could any of the BTAS, TNBA, or JL/JLU eras. Likewise we know that Bruce is 8 years old when his folks are killed, 60 when he is forced to retire as Batman, 95 when Terry confronts Amanda Waller, ect. What we don't know (and aren't meant to know) is what year each event takes place in. The main point is that there is no "now" date given. I think folks who apply a real-world date (like when the shows were being produced) to the timeline are missing the point, and will artificially date the shows making them obsolete. For instance, under the Batman I entry there is a 2030 date under the picture of Bruce at age 60. This means that he was born in 1970 and that everyday the shows we loved get more out of touch. Batman should be forever without these artificial dates. Am I right about this? As a new member I didn't want to post anything dumb in case I am completely off, so I thought I'd put it up here for discussion first. if there is consensus, I'd like to begin removing these dates. "-- Jedimaster13" : There are lots of dates mentioned in the DCAU. I don't have my sources at the moment, but BTAS had at least two references in the 1990s ("Beware the Gray Ghost" had a magazine cover in December 1992 (shortly after many of the episode's events), I believe, and a driver's licence in "Joker's Favor" was issued in 1991 and expired in 1996 or so). : There is a 2041 reference in The Zeta Project, which conflicts with alot of the "50 years" in the future stuff from JLU & BB. I think there is even a 1995 reference in an episode of TNBA (museum check?) and a 2000-something reference in Static Shock. : I'm not involved in the site either (sigh, I wish I could be...), but I think that we should continue to rarely reference dates (ages yes, dates no). I heavily connected dates to the DCAU in the past (a controversial and not really well-supported move among fans) based on my love of TV show chronologies. We should note the given dates where appropriate however, if only in background sections.--Tim Thomason 21:46, 1 September 2007 (UTC) ::I agree with both on some points. It's true that has lots of references to dates, but not the other DCAU shows. Saying that Black Canary joined the JL in the year 2000s is a bit too much. Bruce Timm said on that takes place 50 years from "whenever the present is" into the future. He never uses real life dates to place the present time DCAU shows. We should avoid dates on the main article and make reference of in-universe events to place characters and other events in a certain timeline. Saying Black Canary joined the JL after the Thanagarian invasion would be more appropriate. ― Thailog 09:47, 2 September 2007 (UTC) I also observed in Batman TAS episode:Paging the Crime Doctor, that Bruce Wayne sees an old photo of his father and Dr.Leslie Thompkins, and Bruce comments that the Photo is from 40 years ago. Also, when he opens "The Caduceus" in the same episode, we see a photo of a Young Thomas Wayne and the caption written below it: Thomas Nathan Wayne-1908. This may suggest the year Bruce's dad graduated, so lets consider he might be about 20 then, so, Thomas Wayne was 20 in 1908! This means that he might have Bruce in the next 10 years.... It is all confusing if you ask me...